Independent-vote mechanism for voting-machines.



'. `No'.895.872- j I BEST VLABLE COPY 191111111121111 AUG. 11,1908.

- n y S. LGB. INDEPENDENT VOTE MEGHNISM FOR VOTING MACHINES. 1 l lAPPLLGATIO FILED MAR`;28,1904.

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, s. LOE. Y 1 AIl'vDLIPENDElvT VOTE MBCHANISM POR VOTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 28, 1904A.

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N0.\895,872. PATENTBD AUG.' 11,` 1908. S. LOE..

INDEPEADENT VOTE MECHANISM-FOR VOTING MACHINES. APPLICATION FILEDMAR.28.1904.

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` No. 895,872. PAEENEEE-,AUG.1;,1908.

s. LOE.

INDEPENDENT VUTEMEGEANISMNE VGTING mG'EIEEs APPLICATION FILED MAR.28,1904.

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i il f avAI'LABm COPY @MT-nn SYVER. LOE, OF MINNEAPOLI, MINNESOTA.

.innnrnNDENnvoTE M EoHANIsM -FOR VOTING-MACHINE l i `No. 895,872.Specification To all whom it may concern: Be it known, that I, SYvnRLon, citizen of .the vnited States, residing at Minneapolis, of Min- -inthe county of Hennepin and State l '5 nesota, -h ave invented certainnew and. useful Improvements .1n 4Independent-Vote Mechanism forVoting-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and

l exact description'ofthe invention, such as skilled in theart 'to whichk11; appertains to make and .use the same.

1 y presentinvention relatesto voting Ina-k shines, and has for, itsobject to pro-vide an independent'I voting mechanism,'socalled,

the function of Which is to permit'l and to con- `lzr'ol thevoting offthe names lof the various i 'candidates ynoi;V re resented on any.ticket.

To the above en s the invention consists'of thecnovel devices andcombinations of de- 270 viceshereinaberdescribed and`defined1 in theclaims.

Theiindependent vote mechanism herein `.disclosed and claimed is, in thedrawings,

show'nvas'applied to a voting' machine Jche y general'features ofconstruction of which, are the saine, or` approm'mately'the same as inmy prior patent No.. 804,962issued of date November 21s 1905, filed ofeven date here- .r vfitfh, and entitled `Voting machine. Y The presentinventionis illustrated in the g accompanying drawings, wherein likecharparts throughout the sev- L' fr 'eralviews i Figure 1 a View infront elevation, with I showing one side, or approximately one half,

of'tlie'vcomplete voting machine. Fig. 2 is a v,vertical section bakendhe machine .approximated on the line :c2 x2 Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectiontaken approximately on the line :c3 x3 of Fig. 2.

y Fig. 4 isa detail vien' in plan, showingr one of the independent Yvotetain. associated parts, some paris being secof Fig. 2. Fig..5 is avertical secti on "taken approximately on 'the line Fig. 4.. Fig. Gis a'rensverse vertical. section taken approximately on the Eline :cn ofFig?. 4. j Fig. 7 is a plan view ofA erhe printing or stamping Wheel.Fig. 8 is an end elevation ol the said wheel shown in Fig.

7,; and 'Fin-f. Q is a plan. View of one ol the independent vote disksor llanlrs.

' The mechanism oi "bho machine is conof Letters abent. Applicationfiled. March 28, 190,4; Serial No. 200,464t

tained'within al case or cabinefLhaving. an.

Within ,this case is amade up, asshow'n, of` angle irons 5, verticalbearing stri s horizontal connecting brackets 7, m

mcliine and are attached tovertically disf posed ticket-holding strips8, which stris 8 close the spaces between thestrips 6, an are 6, and

strips 2.

che machine.

and others removed.

from frontno rear of slides or keys and .cer-.

dis an to thebottom of 'the base 2, .are shaft bearings 10, only one ofwhich is shown (see -'Extending-t'ransversely of the Inachine, at theleft hand side thereof, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, is a countershaft11, journaled in 'che bearings 10, Which shaft; may receive anoscillatory motion .by means illust-raed in my said prior patent, means,however, form no part of my present inveni'ion. The' keys of he machine,as in the machine of irny4 said prior patent, arey in the form ofislides, arranged in verical coluinns, andinounted to move from front`11o rear of resent illustration, only a part of ete machine'beingillustrated, I

or keys, one column being assigned to thel Republican party, and theother to independent votes. The slides which areassigned to theRepublican party are indicated by the pendent Votes are indicated by thenumeral 13. These slides are mounted in suitable bearings afforded bythe vertical frame bars 5 and 6. Ina' complete machine, other col- Iumnsof slides corresponding to the slides 12 which would 'necessarily be anelection, `At their forthe said slides means o which they maybe readilyFig.

have shoWn-"b'uittwo columns of these.slides character 1`2, IWhile thoseassigned to' inde-A forward into so-called set posi-` Ptenteiinug. ,11,19o8.

expanded base 2 andif'detachable fromfand rear plates-3 andrei,respec'ively. Inclosed Askeleton framework, a plurality of vertical ,60he bearstrips 6 are located at the front of the l' would, of coulse, beprovided for Vother po.

provided with finger pieces 15, shown as formed by 'cut- The yslides areprovided with 65 providedv with overturned tickets or balldt.

ligidly secured to the left ha-nd' rear portions ofsfthe brackets 7, isa vertically y osed angular stopv bar 9. Secured WithinI 19 en'ds 45 sothat a forward shoulders i6, and the slides with longitudinal slots l?,which, as shown terminate at their forward extremities in largeperforations t8. ltor each .horizontally alined row of slides 11'12,there is an extensible lock bar or shaft made up of a pluralityY olnon-rotary vsections i9 and rotary coupling shafts 20. The couplingshafts 20, between the abutting of the sections 19, are provided. withspur pinions 21, and their oppositelyY projecting` ends areoreverselythreaded and engage right and left tln'eaded seats in the si fdnonrotar)r sections 1S). rl.`he non-rotar)y sections 19 are angular incross section, and engage correspondingliY formed seats in the llangesol the bars 5, so that they are' l'rec to slide therethrough. For thepurposes ol` the present illustration, it 4should be assumed that 2o theright hand member it) shown in l'ig. 2%'. is Vlixed against endwise aswell as rotary movements, although in the actual machine, an absolutelylixed member i9 will be lar ther toward the right., An adjustable stopplunger 22 extends to the lett from, and has screw threadedengagementwith, the lett hand section 1.9. This plunger 22 works through aperforation in the stop bar Y), and is provided with a stop collar whichcooperates with the said stop bar, to limit the distending movement ofthe distensible lock shaft or bar made up of the sections .lil and 20,and plunger 22.

The pinions 2l mesh one with each ol" the Wide faced racks'l, and arefree to slide lat erall)y there-over under expanding and contractingmovements of the lock bar.

For oliices to which but one candidate may be elected, suoli, forinstance, as Governor, the distensible lock bars described, in them-`selves, atiord the Vote limiting devices, and

in such instance, the stop collar plunger is normally -set one step olmovement away Jrommthe ange of the lock bar 9,

movement into a set" position of an)v one .of the slides or keys ot thecooperating horizontal line or series will bring the said collar intoengagement with the said lock bar, and thus lock in normal po- Sitionthe other slide or slides of the said herizontal row. f l

l*1 or group voting, additional mechanism is provided, such forinstance, as cillustrated in my said prior patent'.

'lhe slides lZ coperate with registers not illustrated in thisapplication, but which ma)r be oll the character patent,

to their normal positions.

T o simultaneously return all of the set slides or keys to normalpositions, so-c'alled restoring bars 24 are provided. There is oneI ofthese restoring liars for each vertical column of slides or keys, andcach restoring illustrated in my prior and upon which the said slidesoperFV i ate under return movements from their ,set'

l 1 l i i 1 l i i i3 are lorinedi'pbar is connected t o the trame workol'- the ot parallel linlis 25. (lne bars 2.4 operates upon the slides113,' and the lots i7 of the slides lli, and engages with the rearextremities olf said slots to force the said slides ll back to normalposition. Normally the restoring stand as shown in Figs. 2 and li, sothat the slides 12,' and i3 ma)v be l'reeliY drawn forward into setpositions. v

Uperative movements may be imparted to the restoring bars l-t by aneccentric 25 carried by the sh lower ends ot the The mechanism so fartical. or substantially identical, with .that disclospd in in v said.prior patent. lt will. nowev'er, be understood, that the improved andnovel independent vote mechanism hereinafter described and broadlyclaimed, is capable ol application tevoting machines ot various types ai limited to use ineonnection wi anisin above described.

Independent not@ 'medievrism.---ln the base 2 of the cabinet, below thealined perforations 1S of the slides 1.3, when said. slides are innormal position, is a hopper-like recep tacie 27, having in its bottom aslide 2S that normally closes a passage "29 in the bottom oli the saidbase 2. The outer end of this slide 28 is turned upward at ill). andperlprated to pass therethrough a staple ill ,secured to the side of thebase 2, The relie of a padlock 32, indicated by dotted lines in liig. l,is

.machine by a pair ot the said restoring the shoulders 16 of other,works in the s said bars b v chains 2li.

th the mechadapted to be passed through the staple 21.),

to lock the slide 28 in operative position..

strip 33 extends verticali y up one side ol' the slides l and isrigidlyy secured to the traine brackets 7'.' Below each slide 13, invertical line with its perforation lb, when said slide is in normalposition, is an inclined chute Wt, onev end of which is secured to thesnpportiiig strip J (see liigs. 4, 5 and Gl.. irlounted in small bearingbrackets 35, secured on one ol'thc bearing plates 8, immegliateiv overeach slide i3, is a so-called printing" or stamping wheel 34S.' 'lhesewheels carry peripheral. type or dies 3T, and are prei/'ideal withsha-rp edged peripheral ribs or projectionsliS. The type or die 22.7 onthe several printing or stamping wheels representyditl'erenl numerals.As illustraled. in the drawings, tortv-o'ne slides l, and l'ort-y-oneprinting or stamping wheels are provided, and the` said printing orstamping wheels, yfrom the top of the column down-A ward.v arepri'iv'ided with type or dies repre sealing `the successive numeralsfrom l to 41. 'ih several printingaor stamping wheels 3h eeffiwa'atcwith plutens Ill, shown :is a'll'nrderl h r iaifral intnrned upper endllanges ol' the braclietsl. 'lhe inner surfaces olI these 'ipilatenslill engage the under surfaces ol' the described is iden-t bars 'lil aftll and connected to the nd designs, and hence is not Cir ' 35connections therefrom to the rock Operatzon--The operation issubstantially Aas f ollovvs--ili voter 'seats 18 of the shdes 13. lv'The slides 13 at one edge, are formed with .pasteboard therib'sandtype'or 37 the wheels 3 6 quite close tothe upper .plat/ens. Y Theerforations plate 8, directly the slides 13, as

best shown in Figs.- 4 and-5L 1.'The independent vote'ballots or checksvvare,preferably-in the Aforni of disks 41, and are adyisablyconstructed of heavy paper or These blank disks 41 are of a size-tcloosely within ormed with" the periorations or ratchet teeth 42 mountedinthe frame brack 7"* the rock shaft 43is`a on fthe counter-shaft j SwaD VV`eccentric 46, and at its other end, is lpivoted to the crank '45,as shown, by a` screw '49.

y'being forced ba ets v7,k and in the -base 2 is a vertically disi 2- ofSiightiy yieiding 'v `pawls:cooperate one eachslide 153.

` shown and -preferred t springblade, .which issecur'ed at one edge toposed rock shaft 43 which carries a plurality lock pawls 44, which withthe ratchet teeth of The lock'pawlsv44 are, as formed Yby slitting a therock shaft 43; n the lower portionof short crankarm 45, and 11, is .aneccentric 46. connecting rod 47 is providedat one end ian eccentricstrap 48` that works on the ln the normal positions of thepartsillusloosely` tratedi-n the drawings, the eccentric 46, and i hold'the free endsof the. lock pressed against the `edges of the sli awls 44es 1,3, so

i that when anyoneof the said slides '13 -is Y:4f/.i

to a set7 position. the

drawnfo'ijward, either completely or partly cooperating lock pawl44 willengage the ratchet teeth 42 of such slide, andl revent the said vslidefrom el; .into ajnornial position by the voter.

Who may wish to vote foi-independent candidates, that is, for canldidates whosenames do :not appear on any of r; 50

the tickets of the severalpolitical parties rep-l voter should wish tovotc entirely .tor independent candidates for all. ofthe officesrepresented;he would require fortvone blank ballots 4-1, thatbeingthei.iumbeffvotes to which `lie is l' entitled.. Nevertheless, if he shouldbe given posses'sion of a'larger number of-"blank ballots,v he could notuse them to resented, is given any number ofthe blank disks orballots,.41 'that he 'may desire` With the machine constructed asillustrated, it' the any'a vantage, for reasons which will presentlyappear. The voter, having pulled iorrward into setf positions,l slidesrepresenting the votes which hewishes to cast, a certain numberthereof-being independent vote Vthe cnice represented by the shaft 43,

` tendant of the machine, such lever, not being sli-own, since it formsno part pendent vote slides places a bi ink ballot riait the perforationor seat 18ct-each of such set independent vote slides. f In Fig; 5, Athef lowerfslide 13 is. shown as drawn intoa set -positiorbfiiiv whichsition, its perforation v1,8 stands outward o `the plate 8 and over thecooperating-rest bracket 40, so that the inserted ballot orgcliskl 41Will then r1 it upon the said bracket. kEither while the 1L ank' ballotor disk is thus laced Within the perforation of seat 18 vo the setslide, and

supported by the bracket 40, orat any time' i prior thereto, the name ofthe candidate for set" slide is written on the said ballot or disk. Itis, of'4 course, evidentthat w en an independant vote slide is drawninto a set positie f, it has the same elect upon' the-vote liniing lockbar '19.-20 as when one ofthe slides 12 in ,one of the other-columns isdrawn into set position, and hence, when an independent vot'e slidewhich is assigned to Yan office to which but one person may beelected,"is dr'awn into a set position, it causes the.other-horizontally alined` slide or slides which kare -assigned to thesame office, to be lockedin normal positions. `Qtherwise stated, ifthe/voterA elects to cas-t an independent vote tor theotfice-ofGovernor, for instance, he cannot also votegfer -one'of'tlie candidatesvon a regular, tiket `forthe saine office. i A

After slides have ,been setflrepresenting the entire vote, anoscillatory movement is 'imparted to the counter shaft lliby-somesuitable means under control )of the atmeans, how,-v

'of my present invention but is clearly illustratedin my prior patentalready identified. The initialmoveinent of the countershaft 1 1, in thedirection indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 2, causes the connecting vrod 47to move the lock paWls 44 out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 42 ofthe inde- 13, thus releasing the said slides, so that they may berestored `to ndrmal positions, .by v subsequent rearward and upwardmovements of the restoring bar 24.` The same continued movement of thecountershaft 11 causes the eccentrics 25 to draw upon the chains 26,rand thereby move upward and rearward the restoring bars 24,

as above stated. .Under theabove not'd opprinting wheel is caused tomanipulation ot said key, described.

.2. ln an independent vote mechanism l'or a voting machine, thecombination with a` plurality of keys b v the maniiiulation ot whichindependent vote ballots may be deposited, of' a Iprinting device toreach key, said printing devices having dies dillering in character t'oreach-key, and adapted to stamp withv different characters theindependent'. voteP ballots deposited by the manipulation of theditliei'ent keys, substantiallyT as described..v

3. ln an independent vote mechanism tor voting machines, the combinationwith a Vpluralit)v ot kehvs having ballot-receiving seats, which arenormally ont ol' reach oll the voter but ai'e adapted to be moved withinreach of the voter when the said keys are '"sct, and a plurality olEprinting devices having compression dies 'representing di'tleient.characters and which devices coi" perate one with each key and opera-teon the independent vote. ballots as the)Y are delivered rotate byjthe.engagement ofy theI peripheral siibstantiall \v as ribs or p'ro'eetions38 with the ballot or diskl 41 and to ring its die`37 into action uponthe said ballot or disk, said printing whe-el is ot' such dia-meter asto be given at least one complete revolution as the ballota or disk 4lpasses under the same and thereby 'rint or stamp upon the face ofthesaid iisk the l numeral which represents the number as-l signed tothe articular slide. The. stamped or printed ba lot.- or disk 41, as theslide is given its final movement to normal position, is dropped onto anunderlyingclnite 34, and b v the atter, is directed into the hopper 27.Were it not for these devices for printing, stamping or otherwisevmarking the inde.- pendent vote ballotsor disks, it would be possible,by writing the saine name tor the saine otiiee on a number ot' blankballots oi' disks, and running them into the nia-chine by diti'erentindependent vote slides, to vote several l(.iines for a single candidateand thus -lieat the machine. This, as is evident, cannot be done withthe said printing or stamping devices, because each will print or stampinto the machine, b v movements oi the said upon the ditl'erent ballotsa numeral which keys trom their set7 to their normal position,substantially las described.

4. In an independent vote mechanism l'oi a voting machiiie, thecomlriination with a plurality o'l" kevslides having independentindicates the particular oll'iee to which the co )erating slide isassigned. For instan-ct;- in tie arrangement illustrated in thedrawings, a ballot 41, having written thereon olm l)oe,' and havingstamped thereon 'i vote ballot receiving seats, ol a coi-respondthenumeral 3, registers a votel'or John Doe t ing plurality ,ol' impressionwheels, having for Governor, while if the saine naine should impressiondevices ol' dillerent character arbe found Written on another ballot ordisk ranged to engage and act uponsaid ballots, marked with the numeral4, the vote would under movements oll said slides hack l'i'oinl beregistered tor Lieutenant Governor. All then' set" to their normalpositions, subotl the said actuators ot' the. several columns stantiallvas described. are, of course, siinnltaiieousl)Y restored to ln a`vot-ing machine, the combination normal positions. The means describedl`or with several columns ol key slides and vote locking the independentvote slides against return move-ments, even though but partlY drawnoiit,. is very important. Without sue-h provision, it might be possibleto draw a slide several times about hall'wav out, and each time to passa check or ballot 4i in to the machine.

From what has been said it will be understood that the mechanismdescribed is capable'otl a large range of inodilication within thescopeoiin v invention as herein set l'orth and claimed. '.l`he meansforprinting,stamping 'or otherwise marking the independent vote ballotsso as to indicate the ollice l'or which they were voted, l consider ashroadl)vv l new, and desire to claim the saine as a pioneer invention inindependent vote :mechanism l'or votii'i'g machines.

What l claim and desire to-secure by Letters Patent ot' the UnitedStates is as follows: 1, 'In anindependentvote mechanism tor a votingmachine, the combination with akey, b v the .iiianipulat-ioii o'll whichan inde-- pendent vote ballot maw7 be deposited, oi'a printing devicetor printing a character on tiaiiot deposited by the said slides, oneoll the said columns dll slides being assigned to independent votes, andeach slide ol said column having recesses l'oi' receiving theindependent. ballots. olI a series oi' impression wheels, one l'or eachindependent vote slide, said wheels having lies ot,I dil.- l'erentcharacter arranged l'oi action on the independeiit vote ballotsiindeimovements ol` said independent vote slides l'i'om set" back tonormal position, and means l'oi' restoring the said slides to noi-malposition, substantially as described.

(i. ,ln an independent vote mechanism l'oi voting machines, thecombination with a plurality o'l` indeiiendent. vote slides. b v themanipulation ot which the independent vole ballots may be deposited,under movements of the Uset slides back to normal positions, Y et meansi'or stamping with ditl`erent characters the ballots deposited bvslides, pawl and ratchet devices norma preventing return movements ollsaid set" or partly set slides, means l'oi siniultaneousl \'Y throwingpawl and ratchet devices out ol` ac.- tion to release said slides, andmeans i'or sub i' he independent 'vote limiting lock mechanismcoi'ipei'atiiig with les ' sequenvtlyireturning iset slides to normalv.which are d'epositegl,v substantially as des plurality oi keys hayingmea-ns by the inapositions, substantially as described. scribed. .i 107. In'an independent vote mechanism for In testimony whereof Iaxvmyigature vot-ingi machines, thev combination with a in presence oftivo Witnesses- I SYVER LOE.

nipi'ilati'on.o'l` Whieh independent Vote ballots E Witnesses:

may be depositeiof means operated by the H. D. KILGQRE,

` keys rfoi" automatically printing the ballots 4 F. D. lVIERoHANT.

